Chinese officials fired after burning ‘banknote’ to light up cigarette

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Two urban enforcement officials in southern China were sacked after a video of them burning a fake 100 yuan note (about $15) to light a cigarette surfaced online.

Officers Linghu Xiajie and Li Fuchun were heard saying, “This is so little money” while lighting the cigarette, according to a report by Guiyang Evening Post via The South China Morning Post on Sunday, Feb. 25. 

Xiajie and Fuchun hail from Zitong county in the province of Guizhou. They are called “chengguans” and work with the public to enforce laws such as those on street trading. Their video drew flak from critics and netizens online when it was posted on Feb. 22. 

While the 100 yuan note was discovered to be fake, a statement by the local urban inspection bureau said their action still “negatively affected the public image of urban inspectors.”

Moreover, it added fuel to the fire when it comes to Chinese people’s perception towards urban enforcement officials. Apparently, said officials generally have a poor reputation in communities, the report said, after highly publicized cases of violent and brutal urban enforcement officials were made known.

After the termination of Xiajie and Fuchun, their respective team leaders were reprimanded. JB

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